Chinese soldier held by Indian troops after straying across disputed Himalayan border into Ladakh
- Arrangements are being made to return the soldier who was said to have become disoriented by the darkness and mountain terrain
- Tensions have been high for months following a deadly clash last June in the Galwan Valley
A Chinese soldier who accidentally crossed the contested border in the Himalayas is waiting to be handed over by the Indian army, both sides said on Saturday.
People’s Liberation Army Daily, the official news platform of the Chinese army, confirmed the incident hours after Indian media reported that the soldier had been apprehended on the Indian side of the line. The report said the soldier had been disoriented by the “dark and complicated geography” and crossed the frontier at midnight on Friday.
“The Chinese border troops immediately notified the Indian side and sought help with search and rescue. Two hours later, the Indian side gave a clear response confirming they had found the lost soldier, and were waiting for instructions for the soldier to be returned to China,” the article said.
“The Indian side should closely follow the established mechanism for dealing with this kind of matter, return the lost soldier to China in a speedy manner, and bring positivity and de-escalate current Sino-Indian border tensions.”
China-India border row: preparation for new round of military talks
The article claimed some Indian media reports about the incident had been incorrect, but did not provide any details.
Earlier the Indian army issued a statement to the media that said: “The PLA soldier had transgressed across the LAC [Line of Actual Control, the de facto frontier] and was taken into custody by Indian troops deployed in this area.” It said he had been apprehended in the area south of the Pangong Tso lake.
The Indian army statement also accused the PLA of escalating tensions by mobilising troops along the border, a charge the Chinese side has also levelled at New Delhi.
“Troops from either side are deployed along the LAC since friction erupted last year due to unprecedented mobilisation and forward concentration by Chinese troops. The PLA soldier is being dealt with as per laid down procedures and the circumstances under which he had crossed the LAC are being investigated,” the statement said.
The shores of Pangong Tso have been one of the main flashpoints for the months-long stand-off, which included a brawl in the Galwan Valley in June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and caused an unknown number of Chinese casualties.
High-level military talks have been taking place in an effort to resolve the situation, but both sides have continued to build up their military presence by moving more troops and equipment into the area.
This will not be the first handover between the two sides.